Why did we move our headquarters?

For four years, M1’s HQ was in Chicago’s River North neighborhood. But we just moved to the more centrally located Loop.

The move comes at a time of significant growth for the company: since its founding in 2016, M1 Finance has expanded from its roots as an online investment platform to offer a full suite of money management capabilities, including a portfolio line of credit and high-interest checking paired with a cash-back debit card.

It has also seen substantial growth in customer adoption and funded accounts. Over the past year, customer funded accounts have grown about 200 percent to more than 100,000, and assets have grown 168 percent to about $1 billion. 

The M1 Finance team, too, has grown as the company matures, with more than 50 employees as of January 2020, up from about 20 at the start of 2019. With additional team growth expected this year, the move to a new space became necessary.

“Moving to the Loop marks our transition into bigger opportunities in the world of money management and financial services,” said Brian Barnes, CEO and founder of M1 Finance. “Beyond the practical need for more space, we saw a need to be more centrally located. That makes it easier to continue attracting top talent and to welcome investors and others visiting from outside Chicago.”